Monday, 2 January 2017

My Favourite Books of 2016!

Happy New Year booknerds! Another year gone by and bringing with it, a list of some phenomenal books I've read this year. These aren't necessarily books that were published in 2016, just books I read last year and adored. Also, for the first time ever on this blog, they are in order of least favourite of the favourites to ultimate #1 favourite of the year. Here they are!

10. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
I read this book earlier in the year and wow did I enjoy it. I just love this world and Maas' writing, it's just such a fun fantasy series and I can't wait to see where the next books take the story. I know there are some problematic elements to this series but I just enjoy it for what it is, it isn't the best but I find it so much fun.

9. The Wrath and the Dawn and The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh
Okay, this one is cheating a bit but I just love this duology so much. My friend and I read it together and we both couldn't stop fangirling together. I love Shazi's strength and I thought she was just such a beautiful character, I loved getting to see from her perspective. I also love Khalid. Oh, Khalid. Precious cinnamon roll. These books are just so good I highly recommend them.

8. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
I think it's safe to say this is on a whole lot of lists this year and at the risk of sounding redundant, I'm going to keep this short. I read both ACOTAR and this book last year but I definitely enjoyed ACOMAF more. I loved all the new characters we met in this and I'm so interested to see where the story will go from here.

7. How to Love by Katie CotugnoI got this as a birthday present from my friend so I picked it up right away and fell in love. I loved the story. It's about a single teen mom trying to make a better life for herself and her kid when the father of her daughter comes back into town and things get complicated. It was so good. I was an emotional, sobbing mess after I read this. It's written from two points in time and the story intertwines and it's just so beautiful everyone needs to read it.

6. Six of Crows by Leigh BardugoAnother book many people have on their list this year. I picked it up because of all the hype so I was a little hesitant but boy did it live up to my expectations. The writing was so amazing I was left constantly sitting there in awe of the plot twists and the overall genius of the characters and the author. This is definitely a book you should read, and you don't really need to read the Grisha trilogy to understand it but I did, and there are a few small references but it's more for nostalgia rather than aiding in development of the plot.

5. Scarlet, Lady Theif, and Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen
Okay, I'm cheating again but I can't pick I love all these books so much they're fantastic! I picked them up from the library on a whim because I've never read a Robin Hood retelling and I love that tale so I decided to give this a chance since I never heard anyone talking about it before. BEST DECISION I EVER MADE. These books were absolutely phenomenal. I flew through them as quick as I can. I want the author to write more books because these were just so good. I love the characters, the action, the plot, the romance it was all just magical and perfect!! I highly highly recommend this series because I've never heard anyone talk about it and it's just SO GOOD.

4. Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
Surprise, surprise, a non-fiction book has made the list. *pat on the back to me* I was browsing around introvert videos on YouTube when I came across Susan Cain's TED talk and I just felt so understood by her and her words (as cheesy as it sounds) that I had to pick up her book. This book analyzes what constitutes an introvert, the different types of introverts, and the role of an introvert in the modern world. I just found this to be so intriguing and I finally felt like I had a place and that finally someone came out and said that being an introvert is not a bad thing. Being an introvert all my life, I've constantly been told that it's a bad trait to have and that I should get rid of it and become more outgoing and talkative. This book really moved me and even if you're not an introvert, I definitely suggest picking this one up.

3. The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
Over the last couple years, Mindy McGinnis has become one of my favourite authors. She does such a good job of writing realistic, gritty yet truthful books that are full of emotion and don't always have a happy ending. This book is about rape culture and is so important. We follow a girl named Alex and a few years ago her sister was raped and killed. We follow her and two others as they try to grow and live with themselves after various tragedies in their lives. There is a trigger warning for rape in this so if you can stomach reading something about that topic I highly suggest giving this a go. So moving.

2. Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan
I did not expect to love this book, let alone have it be in my top two favourites of the year. This book came out of nowhere for me. I just picked it up on a whim at the library after hearing mediocre things about it online. Then when I started reading, I became completely engrossed in the story. The characters were just so multifaceted and I never knew who to trust. The mystery aspect definitely kept me at the edge of my seat and I loved getting to see the main character's internal struggle between good and evil. Definitely give this a go.

1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Alas, my favourite book of the year hands down is this. This is the first Sepetys book I read this year (I've now read them all) and while the other were just as phenomenal, this is the one that stuck with me the most. My friend recommended this to me because she loved it and I'm so glad she urged me to pick it up. It was just so beautiful. If you ever get the chance, please, pick this one up. It's the untold story of the fate of the Lithuanians and other Baltic countries during and after WW2 and is so emotional, moving and heart warming. There's also a movie coming out about this soon called Ashes in the Snow and I can't wait for that. Honestly, everything Ruta writes is amazing and just take your pick, you'll love whatever of hers you read. I hope she writes a million more books in the future because she is such a talented writer and I want an infinite amount of her books.

Well, that's all for now. I hope you had a great reading year in 2016 and I hope 2017 will be even better!